McCain and Romney spar over Iraq, economy

A growing spat between Sen. John McCain and Mitt Romney over whether the former Massachusetts governor called last April for a timetable for Iraq withdrawal dominated the Sunday talk shows.

On “Meet the Press,” McCain suggested that Romney’s suggestion, if implemented, would have led to an Al Qaeda victory in Iraq.

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“Governor Romney, obviously, said there had to be, quote, timetables, although they had to be secret because we weren't going to tell the enemy when we were leaving,” the Arizona senator said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

“That's just a fact and if we had done that, as the Democrats and some Republicans wanted to do, we would have lost that surge and Al Qaeda would be celebrating a victory over the United States of America.”

Romney hit back hard at McCain by accusing him of distorting Romney’s words, and further attacked the senator of incompetence in dealing with the economy.

“I’ve never said that we should have a date-certain to withdraw. He knows it,” Romney said on CNN’s “Late Edition.”

“He’s simply being dishonest. He knows that, but he’s desperately trying to change the subject because he does not understand the economy, has no experience in the private economy and right now, that’s the biggest issue people are facing. ”

McCain, by contrast, said that the biggest priority this country faces is the threat of radical Islamic extremism — not the current economic downturn.

“We'll get through this with the economy. We're going to restore our economy and many other measures we're taking right now, although it's very difficult now,” McCain said. "But this challenge of radical Islamic extremism will be with us for the 21st century.”

McCain, who has been taking heat from conservatives for his 2001 votes against President Bush’s tax cuts, declined to apologize for those votes, but said he supports making those tax cuts permanent in light of the recent economic downturn.

“I'm proud of my record of tax cutting, I'm proud of my record of being a fiscal conservative,” McCain said. “Would I have had those tax cuts differently? Of course I would have. And now, right now today, Americans in 2010, are facing, unfortunately, the prospect of a tax increase when we — if we don't make them permanent — in a time of a very shaky economy. I think that's the worst thing we could do.”

Romney also attacked McCain as a Washington insider, and specifically contrasted his executive background with McCain’s legislative experience — and leadership on several key pieces of legislation that have drawn ire from conservatives.

“Senator McCain has been in the Senate for the last 20 years. And frankly, being a committee chairman is not leading a great organization or making great things happen,” Romney said.

“If he’s been a leader, where has it led us? Look at his legislation. McCain-Feingold, that hurt our First Amendment rights. McCain-Kennedy, that was granting amnesty to 10 million illegal aliens. And now McCain-Lieberman, that wants to put a huge tax effectively on American gasoline buyers and rate payers.”

McCain, when asked about recent comments from conservative talk show titan Rush Limbaugh, who said a McCain nomination would “destroy the Republican party,” McCain passed on taking a shot at his erstwhile critic.

“I am a proud conservative. I think that when a lot of Americans, a lot of Republicans review my credentials, they'll vote for me.”

Huckabee cracking kneecaps

Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, polling a distant fourth in the upcoming Florida primaries, continued to attack Romney, while offering implicit support for McCain.

When asked to take sides on the Romney-McCain dispute, Huckabee sided squarely with McCain.

“Dishonest? I’ve never seen John McCain say something that is just blatantly untrue,” Huckabee said on “Fox News Sunday.” Huckabee later praised McCain, saying “we have a civil approach to presidential process. Neither of us has sought the office by cracking the kneecaps of the other.”